Samsung has confirmed that it would recall all the Galaxy Note 7 units sold worldwide and replace them with a new one. The announcement came after several Note 7 users reported that the batteries of their phones would explode while charging. ValueWalk reported yesterday that Samsung was planning to recall the Note 7 units. The Korean company has confirmed 35 cases of the Galaxy Note 7 catching fire or exploding.

Image source: Samsung.com

Samsung to produce replacement devices in two weeks

The mass recall would be an embarrassing setback for Samsung, which initially couldn’t keep up with the consumer demand for its latest phablet. The Galaxy Note 7 had been widely praised, and was off to a flying start. Samsung mobile head Koh Dong-jin told reporters that battery issues were behind the devices catching fire. The Note 7 went for sale a couple of weeks ago.

Samsung has also halted sales of the Note 7. The company said it would replace all the 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 units that have been sold worldwide with a new product. It would take Samsung about two weeks to prepare the replacement units. The mass recall comes only a week before Samsung’s arch-rival Apple unveils its new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The new iPhones could affect the sales of Galaxy Note 7.

Less than 0.1% of Galaxy Note 7 installed with defective battery

According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, Samsung was in discussions with telecom carriers including Verizon regarding how to handle the recall process. Notably, only a small percentage of the handsets sold were affected as different companies were supplying batteries for the Note 7. A Samsung official told Yonhap that despite the mass recall, the majority of devices should be unaffected.

Citing a Samsung official, Yonhap added that less than 0.1% of all the Note 7 units sold were installed with the problematic battery. Earlier this week, a YouTube user going by the name Ariel Gonzalez posted a video showing the burnt rubber casing and damaged screen of the Note 7. He said the device caught fire soon after he unplugged the official Samsung charger.

Author: Vikas ShuklaAlthough he has a background in finance and holds an MBA, Vikas Shukla is a technology reporter. He has a strong interest in gadgets, gizmos, and science. He writes regularly on these topics. - He can be contacted by email at vshukla@valuewalk.com